AN & JFP – U.P. 2014 – Day #4

It was a beautiful day, we woke early, everything went smoothly and with Annie having made up any missed sleep during the run we arrived at Whitefish point somewhat before ten o’clock in the morning.  After a quick walk on the beach to get us going and to be able to say we had done so we went to the complex, paid our fees and toured the entire Whitefish Point Lighthouse complex.  We “did” the Shipwreck Museum, the movie about the salvage of the ship’s bell from the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (and its replacement with an identical replacement engraved with the names of all the lost sailors), the Coast Guard (old British style, not modern law enforcement style) and the beautifully restored “duplex” home of the last pair of light-keepers – one half back to original, and the other to final form before abandonment in the fifties.

We strolled up to the sand dunes behind the complex, the start of a massive array of dunes quite unique to the U.P. courtesy of Lake Superior, and chatted with the bird watchers still documenting the end of this spring’s migration north.  And finally we shopped successfully in the very nice gift shop before leaving and heading back down to Paradise where we turned towards the west in order to go to Tahquamenon Falls.

We visited the Lower Falls first, walking the walks, and taking the pictures (just like everybody else around us, although it was not too crowded at all).  While the major snow-melt flows are long gone the flows were still higher than I had ever seen them since all previous visits had been in the fall.  Despite what were rapidly becoming summer temperatures no deciduous trees at all have yet leafed out and some are barely showing buds, which is a bit strange to my eyes.

We elected to head to the other complex, the one for the Upper Falls where we both made a “costume change” in the van as a cool morning had become a lovely and very warm summer-like day.  We then had a light lunch at the concessions before starting to walk, and walk…..and walk, or climb as the case may be.  We went first to the viewing platforms at roughly water level on the upper side of the falls, with the 96 steps down and up!  After looking, taking pictures, and climbing back up we headed to the other viewing area, accessed via well over 100 steps, but only about 80 of them continuous, the rest coming in fits and starts and being both up and down.  There were a lot less people here!  We looked and took more pictures and headed back…rather more slowly.

After reaching the top and walking a little we (foolishly) elected to take the “nature walk to parking lot”.  Pleasant, but no “nature” and multiple muddy patches ensued.  My longer and springier steps and leaps kept me almost clean but Annie was less successful and wound up with muddy shoes and feet – good job she brought half a stores-worth of others with her!

Of course we “did” the gift shop but bought little for a change.  We then departed and cruised to Newberry and checked into a nice motel quite early.  We sorted out the van and our various bags.  (We brought a lot of “stuff” but most of it stays in the van, not hauled into the room).  This motel has a large hot-tub/spa but no pool, which was just what the doctor ordered for our now-aching limbs, so as soon as we had eaten at a nearby restaurant we indulged and relaxed.  It’s been a good day.

We took far too many pictures but have whittled them down and added just some of them to the Flickr set of this trip which may be accessed here.